Vladimir Horowitz (October 1, 1903 - November 5, 1989) was a classical pianist of Jewish origin. His use of colors, technique and the excitement of his playing are thought by many to be unrivalled, and his performances of works as diverse as those of Domenico Scarlatti and Alexander Scriabin were equally legendary. Detractors claim that his output is uniformly mannered (termed Horowitzian), and often too much so to be true to the composer's intentions. Even so, he has a huge and passionate following and is widely considered to be one of the greatest pianists of the 20th Century.